About Me

Where It All Started

I started my life in the in Minnesota USA and at a very young age my parents migrated our family to Australia where I lived for fifteen years. It was in my teenage years that I first worked in the wine industry still in its infancy in the late 70s picking wine grapes for a for a winery in Yarra valley.

My Story

I remember my first taste of wine was also in my early teens.

Australia in the 80s was starting its accession as power hosue in the wine industry in the early 80s.

I first started drinking in the local Pub at 16 and starting with Cider and Beer and graduating to wine soon after.

Dating in my late teens if you wanted to show you where a person of the world you brought a bottle of wine.

The first couple wines that where my main stay while dating was Rosemount Traminer Riesling and the other was Kaiser Sthul Rose’

18 was the drinking age and it was a right of passage for youth to go wine tasting on the weekends.  Because the wine was free.

Stepping in with Both Feet

Australian are very proud of their wines and I can say I am proud that over the past 28 years I have promoted Aussie wines to Minnesota and I even negotiated with Wine Australia to bring their Ga-Day in a Glass event to the Twin Cities, where we showcased 300 Australian wines and had flew seven Australian Wine makers from Australia to attend and showcase their wines.

Why Somm Wine Yea

I love wine and I want all my friends here to understand and love wine.

First and foremost I will be posting my wine musings and tastings.

My goal is also to try give tips and links and the tools to becoming better at understanding wine.

Things I will touch on.

Wine basics 

The primary nine styles of wine 

Learn how to pick out the flavors int he wine and identity wine faults.

Handling wine.

There is lots of information out there and I hope that you will also enjoy the links and recommendation.

Cheers

Neal McMahon